1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of agricultural implements used for field preparation and configuration, and more particularly, to a furrow clearing apparatus for seed bed preparation, configuration, and planting.
2. History of Related Art
Agricultural implements for preparing fields and configuring seed beds may employ earth-working tools mounted on horizontally disposed frames to permit working wide swaths of earth. One example of such an implement is a furrow roller which is depicted in U.S. Pat. No. 7,021,397 issued Apr. 4, 2006 titled “Folding Furrow Roller for the Preparation of Seed Beds” (which is incorporated herein in its entirety by this reference) and which furrow roller utilizes plowshares and heavy rollers connected to the frames to prepare and configure seed beds. As the furrow roller is drawn through the field, the plowshares dig irrigation furrows that produce raised earthen mounds between the furrows, and the rollers smooth and compact these raised earthen mounds so as to create uniform raised seed beds separated by uniform irrigation furrows.
However, as the rollers contact the raised earthen mounds, clumps of soil are often pushed back into the irrigation furrows that have just been dug by the plowshares. Soil at the bottom of a furrow impedes the flow of water through the furrow. In turn, due to the impeded water flow, an increased amount of water is necessary to properly irrigate each furrow and the field as a whole.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are illustrative and not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiments disclosed.